special. you can read more of my thoughts in "time" magazine. international viewers can go to our website for air times. cnn.com/fareed. thank you. good evening, i'm victor blackwell. happy thanksgiving. here's what's happening. in izrole, we learned tonight a person is now in custody in connection with yesterday's bus bombing in tell avoevhat injured 24 people and the death toll from the conflict over the last eight days rose today. en en. meanwhile, the leader of hamas declared the cease-fire a victory, declaring israel had, "raised the white flag." ben wedemen, our senior international correspondent is in gaza city tonight and, ben, i know a lot of celebrating there. >> there was celebrating earlier

in the day. there was a large celebration organized boy various palestinian factions who do see the fact that israel did not launch a ground invasion and that the palestinians were able to get some important concessions like israeli commitment not to conduct military operations in gaza. they considered that a vectry. those are important concessions in their opinion. other gazans not so happy. they discovered, for instance that many of their -- met one woman whose roof was blown off by a bomb nearby. all the windows were broken. she said, nonetheless, she was happy there was a cease-fire and she hoped it would last for another 100 or 200 years. victor. >> all right, ben wedemen in gaza city for us tonight, thank you. let's get to jerusalem now. sara is there. what more do we know about the person arrested for yesterday's

bus bombing? >> victor. we want to get to the very latest information that we can give you right now about the investigation into who bombed a bus in tel aviv. the bus exploded injuring about 24 people. we now know that there has been an arrest. that arrest was made several hours after that bombing, which was yesterday. we know that the bomb was detonated by a cellphobe a phone also know from police the person arrested was from ramallah. someone who was aligned with hamas. so, that is new information coming in to us. we also want to talk about the cease-fire. that bus bombing happened just as talk of the cease-fire was getting very, very close and we were expecting an announcement. it did not derail the cease-fire, but now we're learning that the person responsible for it may well be a member of hamas or at least a line with hamas or islamic jihad. we want to tell you, though, about the 24-hour cease-fire. that period has lasted and, so, right now, the cease-fire still

in place. people relieved that no more rockets or air strikes are happening. victor? >> sara sidner in jerusalem, thank you for that. in other news, as many as 100 vehicles collided on a highway in texas. almost 120 people were hurt. a texas highway patrol trooper tells cnn that initial reports at the time of the crash indicated there was dense fog. look at this. she said that could have krib contributed to the crashes. at least two people have died. a male and female. no names and no ages. we know they were traveling in the same vehicle, though. the defense department has released e-mails that give us more details about osama bin laden's burial at sea. now, according to the newly released documents, the burial followed traditional islamic procedures and also we know that fewer than a dozen top officers aboard the aircraft carrier "carl vinson" witnessed the burial. the ten e-mails were released in a freedom to information lawsuit

initially filed by the watchdog group judicial watch. black friday deals. they're coming early this year. maybe you're already looking through the circulars. several stores including target and toys "r" us will actually be opening their doors tonight instead of tomorrow. shoppers might see some shorter lines. the national retail federation estimates that 147 million shoppers plan to shop this weekend. that's down from 220 million last year. and one of those we'll be watching is walmart. an expected protest across the country. i'm victor blackwell, "cnn presents" continues now. tonight on "cnn presents" -- "soldier guinea pigs." >> received a high dose of the incapacitating agent. >> you're looking at a military test that's never been broadcast before until now. >> we were never supposed to talk about this. it was top secret. this is supposed to house america's homeless veterans.

guess who we found sleeping outside? betrayal of trust. on the rise at the nation's preteejs military academies. >> i remember him turning off the lights and me asking, what are you doing? >> women who feel betrayed by the military they committed to serve. and the pentagon's battle to do something about it. revealing investigations, fascinating characters, stories with impact. this is "cnn presents" with tonight's host drew griffin. tonight a special look at some of the men and women who served tonight's country. the injustices done it them. we begin with the startling story of how u.s. soldiers were used as human guinea pigs. during the cold war, the military embarked on this top-secret program to test chemical and biological weapons. >> the researchers used animals,

but believe it or not, they also used humans, volunteers from the army who had no idea what they were signing up for. nearly half a century later, some of these human guinea pigs, well, they're emerging from the shadows with disturbing stories about what the military did to them and how they're being treated now. dr. sanjay gupta investigates. ♪ >> i enlisted, joined at 18 years of age. it was the height of the vietnam war era and really felt a sense of duty to my country to go and serve. >> i went straight to ft. bragg. it was the thing to do. it was my duty as an american. >> i was drafted and i was placed in the 85th missile detachment. we were supposed to be security guards for the nuclear warheads that were going in missiles. >> reporter: three american

soldiers, tim josephs, rank rochelle, bill blezinski called to arms from different backgrounds but about to share an experience that would change each of their lives. at edgewood arsenal military base in maryland. >> a couple of doctors from edgewood arsenal came and gave a presentation. >> they presented it as not everyone would be chosen. >> there would be a guaranteed three-day pass every weekend. >> three-day passes are the rule. >> no duties, no guard duty, no kitchen police. >> this is what we filled out. they ask you about your criminal background. they asked you if you drank, they asked you about your parents, they asked you about your brothers and your sisters. silly questions like did you like your mother better than you did your father? >> i took the test and got chosen. and you got to take a couple days off at home and then reported to edgewood for two months. >> when you got chosen, were you excited? >> yes, i was glad to go. it was like a plumb assignment. you would get all the weekends

off. and the idea was that they would test new army field jackets, clothing, weapons, things of that nature, but no mention of any drugs or chemicals. >> in the beginning, that's what we were told and that we'd be doing, testing equipment, not drugs. >> reporter: but edgewood arsenal was testing drugs beginning in 1955. >> this is edgewood arsenal. the united states army's chemical commodity center. >> reporter: this was the cold war. and the united states wanted defenses against a possible soviet chemical attack. >> psycho chemical attack may come in the form of an explosion, an invisible vapor, a cloud of smoke. >> reporter: the u.s. was also developing psychochemical weapons of its own. >> here is a group of normal soldiers responding correctly to a series of routine drill commands. after receiving a small dose of lsd, they're confused and up disciplined. >> reporter: edgewood arsenal

was where much of the research took place. using men like tim josephs. >> when i got there, it just did not look like a military base. more like a hospital. >> reporter: describe it. what was it that you saw? >> everyone's in lab coats. some military doctors, i guess, and some were civilian doctors, but you were well aware that you were a private and they were a captain and up. and i expressed my concern right from the beginning. they took me aside and said, you know, you volunteered for this. and if you don't do it, there's most likely prison and a dishonorable discharge. >> reporter: you were intimidated? >> yes. >> reporter: coerced? >> yes. >> reporter: forced? >> forced. >> reporter: you didn't sign up for this. >> no, not at all. >> i reported up there september the 3rd. and that started my ordeal.

i trusted my government. i trusted the army. we were assured that we would not be harmed in any way. >> reporter: they said don't worry. was that the right message for them to be giving you? >> not at all. >> reporter: you trusted them. >> sure. >> reporter: and how about now? >> i don't trust them very much at this point. >> reporter: and there's good reason for that. the army was testing substances ranging from lsd to nerve gas on human subjects. coming up -- >> the private received a high dose of the incapacitating agent. in 15 minutes, he won't be able to focus his eyes properly. never before broadcast films of what went on behind closed doored. in the army's top-secret testing program. edgewood arsenal. and the health problems these veterans say followed them from edgewood and haunt them to this day.

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during the cold war, the u.s. military launched a top-secret program to see what sometimes dangerous chemicals could do to the body and the mind. veterans of these tests say they

faced health problems long after the drugs wore off, and they say the government has not lived up to its promise to take care of them. here, again, dr. sanjay gupta. >> these are the men of baker company. a special volunteer troop detachment at edgewood arsenal, maryland. >> reporter: for 18-year-old army private tim josephs, the tests started almost as soon as he arrived at edgewood. home to a top-secret military testing program using human subjects. >> sometimes it was an injection. other times it was a pill. >> reporter: did they tell you what it is? >> the drugs, the chemicals, were referred to as agent 1 or agent 2. one test i was involved with, i was pretty much out of it all day. and that afternoon i woke up with parkinson's symptoms immediately. >> reporter: so you had tremor? >> and aching in the limbs and

arms and some numbness. >> in this flask is a compound called cf. >> reporter: bill was exposed to cs, tear gas, three times at edgewood. >> this chamber looks familiar from the first test that i was. >> reporter: this army film shows volunteers in the gas chamber exposed to cs. >> almost at once. >> your eyes water. your nose runs. your skin burns. you start throwing up. it's a real mess. >> reporter: in another test, he received an injection before being taken to a room with padded walls like this one. >> i'm sitting on the bed. i'm looking at the wall. all of a sudden i'm looking at it, and it starts fluttering like a flag does. >> careful control of these chamber tests resulted in a dose of only two parts per million. >> reporter: frank rosel tested a similar drug in aerosol form.

>> and i leaned over into a face mask, inhaled and exhaled and inhaled and exhaled. >> a low dose of agent was fed into the mixing bowl. >> reporter: this army film shows a soldier at edgewood named carpenter undergoing the same kind of test. >> within an hour, carpenter's hands will feel cold, his face hot. borderline hallucinations will come late in the experiment. like the soldier in the film, frank rochelle experienced hallucinations. >> people were calling my name, and there was nobody around. there were animals coming out of the walls. it appeared that all my freckles were bugs on my skin. i took a razor and i tried to cut some of them out. >> what was this business when you were lying down and looking at the wall? >> reporter: in all, some 7,000 military volunteers or more were part of chemical tests from 1955 to 1975. the military tested at least 250 chemical and biological agents

during the cold war including potentially lethal nerve agents like vx and sarin. incapacitating drugs like bz, tear gas, barbiturates, tranquilizers, narcotics, and hallucinogens. >> lsd. >> reporter: this army film shows soldiers performing drills under the influence of lsd. >> notice the volunteer who salutes several times. five minutes later, it caused the medical officers to end his participation in the tests. >> reporter: volunteers were ordered not to ever tell anyone what had happened at edgewood. >> the thing about this whole program, you were told up front, you don't talk about this. you don't tell nobody about it. we couldn't even talk to our doctors. we couldn't even talk to our physicians. >> it was hammered into us, we were never supposed to talk about this. it was top secret. >> reporter: these days he says he's suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, and a cancer of the blood.

frank rochelle also has health issues. >> i have breathing problems. i have nightmares, you know, that i still remember and think about the tests. >> reporter: tim josephs has parkinson's disease. a condition that forced him to retire early. >> the whole thing stinks. i'll tell you, americans, if they knew about it, would not tolerate it, this kind of behavior toward our veterans. they would not allow it to happen. >> reporter: this attorney is suing the department of defense and the department of veteran affairs on behalf of edgewood veterans. what do you hope to get for them in an ideal situation? >> they're going to get nothing for themselves out of this case other than perhaps medical care. they're not going to get any money. they want to get proper notice of the substances they received, the doses, and the health effects. many of them had never been notified of anything. they were mistreated. and they don't want this to be swept under the rug and have everyone die and never see the light of day. that's why they're doing it.

>> reporter: we wanted to talk about the lawsuit with the v.a. and defense department. they declined to be interviewed on camera, citing the pending litigation. they gave us a statement instead. the department of defense said it has made it a priority to identify all service members exposed to chemical and biological substances. and the v.a. has offered free medical evaluations to thousands of veterans. >> on the fighting front, ground action has been quiet today. >> reporter: palmer says most edgewood veterans have never been contacted by the v.a. >> the v.a., they don't want to know. >> reporter: and the v.a. has denied almost all edgewood-related health claims. >> our government has not fulfilled their duty. they have a duty to find and recognize every person, and they've got a duty to give them medical treatment. >> they're hoping that we die

off. you apply, get turned on, and it just goes on for years and years. and they want to wear us down. they want to use young men as guinea pigs and throw them away. >> it's worth reemphasizing that the edgewood veterans are not asking for money specifically, but there's a lot of delays in a case like this. in part because of the difficulty of tracking down old documents from so many years ago, it is likely to go to trial next year. up next, another form of injustice. veterans from iraq and afghanistan back home and living on the streets. and these come together, one thing you can depend on is that these will come together. delicious and wholesome. some combinations were just meant to be. tomato soup from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

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for far too many americans, the street is their home. a life bad enough for anyone, but unforgivable when the struggling men and women have already risked their lives for their country. there are more than 8,000 homeless veterans living in los angeles alone. surprising when you consider there's a plot of land there, nearly 400 acres that was donated, free, just to build a home for vets. and as dr. sanjay gupta discovers, that land could have helped a vet he met in l.a. >> you are young, how old are you? >> 22, almost 23. >> almost 23. from this area originally.

>> san fern an douando valley. >> he signed up to fight for his country. what makes an 18-year-old join the army? >> i wanted to go to college and the army said they'd pay for it. >> i'm going to serve my country, but then my country is going to serve me. >> that's kind of what i was hoping for, yeah. >> where did it fall apart? >> it began to fall apart in iraq. i saw things that i know you don't want to talk about. >> no, i don't. >> you probably never want to talk about. >> no. >> the war was winding down, but robert's unit was busy with patrols and then a close friend died in a bridge collapse. >> i got back from iraq and i was having a lot of psychological issues. i guess you could say. >> posttraumatic stress. >> posttraumatic stress disorder. >> back home at ft. carson in colorado, he started feeling

like people were out to get him. a few months later, someone discovered robert's illegal shotgun hidden in his barracks. according to army papers, he told investigators he was suicidal. at one point he spent a whole day drinking and sat at the end of the bed with the barrel in his mouth. >> i sometimes wish i would have died in iraq so my life would have meant something. >> forced to quit the army, robert ended up homeless. >> i went through some pretty bad times when i first got out. i was doing a lot of methamphetami methamphetamines. i was smoking a lot of dope and i was getting in with some rough crowds. >> and many of those rough crowds were made up of people just like robert. returning veterans. as many as one in three soldiers

returning from iraq or afghanistan suffers from traumatic brain injury, severe depression, substance abuse or ptsd. >> i was dealing with other people that weren't so nice. >> is that weird for you to hear? >> that is really uncomfortable, actually. >> what happens when you hear a noise like that? >> it startles me a little bit, but -- i know it's a truck. >> you see it everywhere you look. ex-soldiers like robert are desperate for steady care and for stable housing. so, i was stunned to hear about a piece of property in west los angeles set aside for this very purpose. for veterans, for long-term housing. it's literally across the street from the va hospital. the story here actually dates back all the way to the 1880s.

back then, the government wanted to create facilities for aging veterans of the civil war. so, former senator john p. jones and his friend, who was a glamorous heiress decided to donate all of this land. back then, it was mostly ranch land. but today, just a few miles from the pacific ocean, it is some of the most valuable real estate in all of north america. >> it was solely an act of good will, an act of trying to take care of the veterans they had from the spanish american war and the civil war. >> carolina berry descended from the heiress who made this gift is part of the lawsuit against the va filed from the american civil unions. the original deed that the land be used to establish and maintain a branch of said national hero for dislocated

vets. >> they had a post office, a trolley system that went all the way to the beach. everything was provided for them. they had special uniforms. it was a marvelous place to live and the grounds were gorgeous. i mean, they were just gorgeous. >> mark rosenbalm is the lead attorney for the aclu. >> at one point this campus housed as many as 4,000 veterans. beginning with the vietnam war era, the vets were kicked out. they were literally kicked out. >> around 200 veterans live on the property today. but none of them in permanent housing. alongside them, empty buildings. a public golf course, a variety of private businesses, like a theater and a bus depot. >> this land has been utilized for enterprise rent-a-car and marrioiettriott hotels. they know what this land is about. >> with veterans sleeping on

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we've been investigating a story in los angeles where there are more than 8,000 veterans without a home. really surprising when you

consider there's land there, specifically set aside to house homeless vets. so, why isn't that happening? dr. sanjay gupta went to l.a. to find out. >> i wanted answers for men like robert. he is a 22-year-old former soldier and now a recovering drug addict. he was diagnosed with ptsd. he's in transitional housing with no idea what comes next. he's just trying to get back on his feet. >> i had to steal food at one point because i had too much pride to ask anyone. i -- i still have that kind of pride. >> for vets like robert, the aclu filed suit to try and force the va to build housing on 400 acres of land that it was given back in 1888. at first we called the head of the va and they said, look, we can't comment on pending

litigation. we called the department of justice whose lawyers are handling the case and they said they can't talk about it either. well, finally, the va called us back and said their chief of staff wants to sit down, talk to me and tell us what they're doing to help homeless vets. >> we've added 700 emergency housing and transitional housing beds. they have mental health programs, substance abuse programs. >> they also have something else. known as rent vouchers. >> which enable us to put veterans in permanent housing. >> in los angeles, each voucher just for veterans is worth more than $1,100 a month. dr. norman says the los angeles v.a. last year has given out roughly 2,000 of these vouchers. of course, that's 2,000 vouchers for more than 8,000 homeless veterans. >> doing the math, not enough of these vouchers, obviously. if they all called you the day after this airs --

>> well, it would be shocking. but would be wonderful and we'll figure out a way to give them emergency and transitional housing. >> if they're hearing you right now. what would be their next step? >> the easiest thing to show up. >> show up at the front door? >> show up at the front door. we have a variety of numbers, i'm afraid to give you my secretary's number. >> of course, i did wonder, how many of the homeless vets are, in fact, seeing this? how many could even find a phone. there has been a lot made of this property that is just about a block away from here that i think is around 400 acres that was designed for veterans. to provide housing for veterans and people said, look, that property is not being used for that purpose. what of that? is that a legitimate beef? >> well, speaking for the agency and you know that's under litigation right now, i can't

even comment on that. >> the va will say that we are going to end homelessness by 2015. >> well, they've been saying that for decades. but the most interesting thing is that the lawyer for the va walked into a federal courtroom and said, we think this case should be thrown out of court. we don't think there's a basis for the va to have to provide housing. >> this is the lawyers on the va side. and they're the ones that are raising the flag saying, look, we're not sure this is possible. >> i can't comment on the litigation. i wish i could, but i can't. >> you think it's possible? >> i think we have the resources with the community to end homelessness of veterans. >> robert who is not part of the lawsuit says he hopes it gets resolved. before his housing placement runs out and he's back out on the street. >> you want a new life? >> i want to get a degree, i

want to graduate from college. i want to get a good paying job. buy a house, you know. the right things. >> in march, the federal judge said he would let the lawsuit go forward and said the government does have a responsibility to provide housing for vets. the government is appealing the decision. as for robert, we understand he's still doing well. he's still in the same transitional housing. he continues to take college classes and it looks like he's putting his life back together. coming up, kyra philips exclusive investigation into allegations of rape at the nation's most prestigious military academies. [ female announcer ] think a thick cream is the only way to firm skin?

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secretary of defense leon panetta announced new aggressive policies to combat sexual assault in the military. zero tolerance is the message from the pentagon's top commander. but ground zero for battling the growing problem may start at the nation's most prestigious military academies. reports of sexual assaults at the academies rose by nearly 60% in the past year and out of the 65 cases reported, only one resulted in court-martial. that's why two young women say they're coming forward. in a lawsuit, they allege they were raped in their very first year at the academies. tonight, they speak exclusively to kyra phillips.

>> west point. the naval academy, the air force academy. tachked with training future officers ethically, spiritually and morally. but for these high school honor students their experience would be far different. >> i remember him turning off the lights and me asking what are you doing? >> in the middle of the night i did come to, and he was on top of me. >> karley marquet and annie kendzior say they were raped. raped by fellow classmates they trusted and ignored by a chain of command that promised their parents they'd be protected. >> and nobody, not a single person, not one, was looking out for her best interest. >> come on, karley.

>> reporter: karley marquet was not your typical teenage girl. that's her cage fighting at 18. >> that's it, karley. >> reporter: an all-star rugby player. a championship swimmer and honors student. karley could have gone to college anywhere. what was it about west point that drew you to that academy? >> just knowing you kind of have your future set, having that structure and discipline but at the same time having people look at you like wow, you're doing something great for our country. >> reporter: her sister was a mid-shipman at the naval academy, her father a marine. to karley they were heroes. everything she wanted to be. do you think west point let you down? >> yeah. i wanted to be there.

it was my dream. >> reporter: a dream that was shattered her first year, when an upper classman showed up at her door to talk girl troubles. >> i kind of felt a little cool that an upper classman wanted to be friends with me and was >> after sharing a drink, karley says he convinced her to come to his room. since he was an upper classman she trusted him. >> i remember just getting more and more intoxicated, and my judgment really started to become impaired. i remember him turning off the lights and me asking, what are you doing? and then he proceeded to rape me. >> reporter: karley says she woke up disoriented, in physical pain, and afraid to come forward. >> i was scared it was going to ruin my career. i was scared if i said anything that there would constantly be a target on my back.

i reached out to people, and they weren't there. i just didn't want to leave my room. i mean, he was right across the hall. >> and you still had to work under him, take out his trash. >> yes. >> why? >> it was part of our duties. >> chain of command? >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: chain of command. military ranks where senior students have authority over the one immediately below. so every day karley had to face the man she says raped her. but weeks later karley finally found the courage to come forward. she filed a report and asked an investigation. >> and the reason i ended up telling someone is because i didn't want that to happen to anyone else. >> reporter: annie kendzior describes her as a girly girl who never imagined joining the military. an honor student and one of the

best high school soccer players in the country, she was heavily recruited by top ivy league schools. but the naval academy was the most convincing. >> all their graduates that graduated from the soccer team went on and became pilots and marine officers. and it just sounded like oh, those women are so powerful and so well respected, and i wanted to be that woman. >> reporter: annie's goal was to fly f-18s. but it wasn't long after arriving she realized that wasn't going to happen. >> i could tell that there was definitely a bias toward the women. i mean, you're a female entering into a fraternity, a giant frat. >> reporter: annie says there were no derogatory names for the men but for the women they were called dubs. >> what does dub mean? >> dub, a dumb ugly bitch. >> were you ever called a dub? >> every girl was called a dub. >> reporter: it was definitely a different culture, and annie

felt out of place. so when she got invited to go to an off-campus party, she was in. >> i was like okay, cool. college, finally. i can live the college life for one night. >> reporter: but annie says she had way too much to drink. so when a fellow midshipman offered her a place to crash, she accepted. >> i was like, okay. it'll be fine. i trust you. you're in upper class. because that's what they teach you to trust, your upper class. >> so tell me what happened once he took you back to the room. >> i just laid down and went to sleep. at one part in the middle of the night i did come to, and he was on top of me. and i remember saying no. but then i just passed back out again. >> reporter: annie was afraid to come forward. >> why were you scared? >> i didn't want to be the girl that got the athlete kicked out. because we had been told stories about how that had happened in the past. and i didn't want to be that

next story. >> reporter: for two years annie battled depression and thoughts of suicide. she had a secret she couldn't keep anymore. and finally called her father. >> and she said, "i was raped." and i couldn't breathe. >> reporter: still ahead, the battle to change the system. >> how do you get it through these men's heads if they rape they will pay the price? ins. i'. i have obligations. cute obligations, but obligations. i need to rethink the core of my portfolio. what i really need is sleep. introducing the ishares core, building blocks for the heart of your portfolio. find out why 9 out of 10 large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal.

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in a lawsuit just filed allegations of rape at west point and the naval academy, two young women say they risked their careers to come forward and request an investigation. they wanted the men they say raped them to be prosecuted. one year later they're still waiting. kyra phillips continues our investigation. >> reporter: when karley marquet came forward to say she was raped at west point, she believed her case would be investigated. >> i remember the investigators meeting with my parents, and they promised my parents that if he wasn't going to jail they could at least get him kicked

out of west point with the evidence they had. >> but he's still there. >> but he's still there. >> reporter: annie kendzior says she too believed her allegations of rape would be investigated. >> i was like, okay, they're going to get him. like, good. >> reporter: but karley and annie say their alleged perpetrators were never punished. so now they've filed a lawsuit, naming former secretary of defense robert gates, the former superintendents of west point and the naval academy, secretary of the navy ray mabus, and secretary of the army john mchugh. the lawsuit claims there was limited support from commanders and failure to ensure sexual predators were prosecuted and incarcerated for their crimes. karley and annie are not alone. reports of sexual assault at the academies are up nearly 60%. and of the 65 reports

investigated last year, only one resulted in a court-martial. >> i ache for those former cadet midshipmen who have had their lives torn up. it shouldn be that way. >> reporter: congresswoman jackie speier has gone to the house floor 19 times. >> we need to overhaul this system. >> reporter: demanding that congress and the military change the way sexual assaults are prosecuted. >> you report everything through your chain of command. so i'm raped, i go to my commander, i say i've been raped. my commander can say to me, well, you know, i'm not going to pursue this. or take an aspirin and go to bed. as long as it's going to be in the chain of command, there's always going to be a conflict. >> reporter: her bill, the stop act, would take investigations away from the chain of command and turn them over to an impartial council of civilian and military experts.

>> if you're not going to have your assailant prosecuted, why would you want to come forward? because you're basically setting yourself up to lose your career in the military. >> reporter: speier says for years her calls to action have gone unanswered until secretary of defense leon panetta took office. >> we've got to train commanders to understand that when these complaints are brought they've got to do their damnedest to make sure these people are brought to justice. that's the only way we're going to try to prevent this in the future, is to show that people can't get away with it. >> how do you get it through these men's heads if they rape they will pay the price? >> this place operates by command authority, and it has to begin at the top, and the message has to go down to the bottom. >> reporter: still, panetta will not take investigations away from the chain of command. but he is changing the rules, announcing new initiatives just

one week after our interview. >> what i will do is change the way these cases are handled in the military. >> reporter: here's what panetta is doing differently. he created a special victims unit to investigate sexual assaults. now instead of slowly making their way up the chain of command all cases will begin at the level of colonel. >> everybody has to do due diligence. commanders, like i said, have bosses. if that commander's not doing their job, you relieve their butts of command. >> reporter: major general mary kay hertog heads the sexual assault response and prevention office. >> you have to look at this every single day and you have to look at what every victim says seriously. i want our victims to come forward. >> reporter: but the changes in policy come too late for karley marquet and annie kendzior. their military careers are over. >> it hurts me to hear that because we betrayed their trust and we didn't take care of them

and we need to do a much better job. >> reporter: according to the lawsuit, as a result of the rape karley became depressed and suicidal, unable to handle the stress of seeing her alleged perpetrator every day. karley resigned from west point. >> i felt like a blemish. >> because they knew you reported the rape. >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: annie says she too became suicidal. she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. and according to her lawsuit was then forced to leave the academy. >> it hurts the message that we're trying to get out there, that -- >> reporter: because of privacy issues panetta couldn't comment specifically on karley and annie's cases. but he does make clear that blaming the victim needs to stop. >> personality disorder. academic separation. i mean -- >> i think that's part of the syndrome that we're dealing with, which is that, you know, once a decision is made that

somehow this prosecution is not going to move forward then you basically turn on the victim who brought that complaint and try to do everything possible to make sure that that victim doesn't hang around or really diminish them by somehow accusing them of having psychological problems. that syndrome is what we have to break out of. >> reporter: and for karley and annie if coming forward helps with that mission they want to be a part of the battle. >> i know with at least one person coming forward there will be others that want to come forward and say something. >> because then they might get their perpetrators put behind bars, which is where they should be. >> west point and the naval academy say they couldn't comment on karley and annie's allegations because of privacy issues. both women have requested copies of their case files to learn more about why the men they say raped them are still in the military.